Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about managing your dental membership plans with InHouse Dental.
About InHouse Dental
What is InHouse Dental?
InHouse Dental is membership management software designed for UK dental practices. It gives you the tools to create, manage and administer your own dental membership plans, with your practice in control of pricing, benefits and patient relationships.
How is InHouse different from a traditional dental plan provider?
Rather than managing your membership scheme on your behalf, InHouse provides the software for you to manage it yourself. You decide how your plans work, what they include and how much they cost, with access to membership information, payments and reporting in one place.
Do I need technical experience to use InHouse?
Rather than managing your membership scheme on your behalf, InHouse provides the software for you to manage it yourself. You decide how your plans work, what they include and how much they cost, with access to membership information, payments and reporting in one place.
Can I use InHouse alongside my existing practice management software?
Yes. InHouse is a separate membership management platform, so you can continue using your existing practice management software for clinical records and appointments. It doesn’t replace your clinical system.
Why should I bring my membership plans in-house rather than use a traditional provider?
Bringing your membership plans in-house gives your practice greater control over how your membership scheme operates.
With InHouse Dental, you’re not handing over the day-to-day management of your plans to an external provider. Instead, you have the software to create your own plans, set your prices, decide which benefits to offer and manage your members directly.
You also have access to your membership data, payment information and reporting, helping you make informed decisions about your practice.
It’s about having the freedom and flexibility to run your membership scheme your way, with the potential to reduce costs too.
Membership Plans
Can I create my own membership plans?
Yes. InHouse Dental gives you the freedom to create your own membership plans, set your monthly prices and decide which benefits to include. You can structure your plans around the needs of your practice and patients.
Can I change my membership plans and prices?
Yes. You can update your plans, pricing and benefits as your practice’s needs change. Changes affecting existing members may require patient notification and updates to their payment arrangements.
Can I offer different plans for adults and children?
Yes. You can create separate plans for adults, children or different levels of dental care, each with its own pricing and benefits.
Can families be managed together?
Yes. InHouse supports household memberships, allowing family members to be linked together and their payments collected through a combined Direct Debit.
Can I include non-dental services, such as facial aesthetics in my membership plans?
Yes. InHouse Dental doesn’t restrict you to traditional dental membership plans.
You can create plans that reflect the services your practice offers, including facial aesthetics, cosmetic treatments or other services, and decide what benefits or discounts to include.
You’re in control of how your plans are structured, provided the services and benefits comply with the relevant professional and regulatory requirements.
Is insurance included with InHouse Dental membership plans?
No. InHouse Dental provides membership management software rather than an insurance product.
Traditional dental membership schemes sometimes include additional insurance benefits, such as worldwide dental emergency cover. However, these benefits aren’t necessarily used by every patient.
Our research has shown that claims on these types of cover can be relatively uncommon.
Rather than automatically including insurance within every membership, InHouse gives practices the flexibility to decide which benefits are most valuable to their patients. Practices can explore separate insurance arrangements if they wish to offer this protection.
Payments & Pricing
How much does InHouse Dental cost?
InHouse Dental costs £1 per active patient per month, with no percentage taken from your membership income by InHouse. Separate GoCardless payment processing fees apply.
How are patient membership payments collected?
Patient membership payments are collected automatically by Direct Debit through GoCardless, using your practice’s own GoCardless account.
We’ll guide you through the straightforward setup process, which typically takes just a few minutes to complete. GoCardless will then carry out the necessary account verification checks.
Once everything is set up, payments are processed securely by GoCardless and paid directly to your practice, less the applicable processing fees.
What are the GoCardless processing fees?
GoCardless standard UK Direct Debit processing fees are typically 1% plus 20p per successful transaction, subject to GoCardless’s applicable pricing and terms. These fees are separate from InHouse Dental’s charges.
Does InHouse Dental hold our patients' money?
No. InHouse Dental provides the membership management software. Patient Direct Debit payments are processed by GoCardless and paid to your practice. InHouse does not collect or hold your patients’ membership funds.
Why does InHouse Dental use GoCardless?
We use GoCardless because it’s an established Direct Debit payment provider that securely processes recurring payments.
By connecting your practice’s own GoCardless account to InHouse Dental, your patients’ membership payments are collected automatically and paid directly to your practice.
This means your practice maintains control of its membership income, while InHouse provides the software to manage your plans, patients and payment reporting.
Importantly, you don’t need to become a Direct Debit provider yourself or navigate the complex banking requirements, compliance obligations and administration involved in collecting Direct Debits independently. GoCardless takes care of the payment processing, leaving you free to focus on managing your memberships.
Does InHouse Dental charge patients a joining or administration fee?
No. InHouse Dental does not charge patients a joining or administration fee when they sign up for a membership plan.
Your practice remains in control of its membership pricing and the benefits offered to patients.
Is there an onboarding fee for practices?
No. There are no onboarding fees with InHouse Dental.
We’ll help you set up and connect your GoCardless account, so you’re ready to start collecting membership payments.
Our software is designed to be straightforward to use, with a comprehensive, built-in user guide available whenever you need it.
Switching to InHouse
Can I switch to InHouse from my existing membership plan provider?
Yes. InHouse Dental is designed for practices that want to take control of their own membership plans, whether they’re moving from an existing provider or starting a new membership scheme.
We’ll work with you to plan the transition and help make the process as straightforward as possible.
Will my existing patients need to sign up again?
Moving to InHouse may require patients to authorise a new Direct Debit mandate through GoCardless, depending on your existing provider and the arrangements for transferring payments.
We’ll help y
Can I keep my existing membership plans and prices?
Absolutely. You can recreate your existing membership plans in InHouse, including their pricing and benefits, or take the opportunity to introduce changes.
You’re in control of how your plans are structured.
Will you help us move our existing members across?
Yes. We’ll guide you through the onboarding process, including setting up your plans and preparing your existing membership information for migration.
Every practice is different, so we’ll discuss your current arrangements and agree on the most suitable approach.
Do I need to cancel my existing provider before joining InHouse?
Not immediately. We recommend reviewing your existing provider’s contract, notice period and any applicable termination conditions before making changes.
We’ll help you plan the timing of your move so you can minimise disruption to membership payments.
Getting Started & Free Trial
How do I get started with InHouse Dental?
Simply get in touch with us. We’ll discuss your practice’s requirements, explain how InHouse works and help you decide on the best way to get started.
We’ll guide you through setting up your practice, creating your membership plans and connecting your GoCardless account.
Can I try InHouse Dental before committing?
Yes! We offer a 7-day free trial, giving you the opportunity to explore the platform and see how it could work for your practice.
Contact us to arrange your trial.
Do I need to install any software?
No. InHouse Dental is a cloud-based platform accessed through your web browser, so there’s no software to install on your practice computers.
You can access the platform securely wherever you have an internet connection.
What support is available?
We’re here to help you get started and make the most of InHouse Dental.
We provide guidance during onboarding and ongoing support for questions about using the platform and managing your membership plans.
What happens after my 7-day free trial?
If you decide InHouse Dental is right for your practice, we’ll help you move forward with setting up your membership scheme.
We’ll explain the applicable charges and next steps before you commit to using the platform.
Is there a minimum contract term?
No. InHouse Dental has no minimum contract term or long-term commitment. You’re free to stop using the software whenever you choose, with no cancellation fees.
Still have questions?
We’re happy to help. Whether you’re considering switching providers, setting up your first membership scheme or simply want to see InHouse Dental in action, get in touch.
Contact us to find out more or arrange your 7-day free trial.